Launching at Anacortes?

[Lootas1]

If you are coming from the south and launching at LaConner, you can't get to highway 20 from I-5. Best turn off at Conway and go across Fir Island and turn right on Best Road to Highway 20. Of course, you can also go to Mt. Vernon on I-5 and through town and take State 536 to 20. I'm guessing traffic is likely to be backed up south of Mt. Vernon due to the I-5 bridge collapse.
Hoping to get Rosario in the water before the tide gets too low for me to launch and see some of you at Sucia this afternoon.
Jerry

[Skagitguy]

Jerry, The cruise in the San Juan's is next Friday the 31st. Chuck

[DMCI]

"Holy suffering and cats, Batman!"

I was thinking that going through La Connor via Conway, but turning right to Highway 20 just before you get into the city might be the ticket. You can't get to Highway 20 without crossing the bridge or taking a detour.

If you do that you probably won't be the first to think of it. I have to go there this afternoon to see about selling my kicker. A guy there wants it and I am prepared to sell. Then what I have left is a Skagit 17 with a 55 Evinrude on it. With regards to the bridge, that will have massive impact on tourism, the availability of supplies, and other things that make life in the modern world manageable.

The five-star general once said: "Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics." This bridge failure is a hit right dead center on our logistics up here in the Puget Sound region north of Seattle.

[Stan D]

I haven't seen it mentioned as an official detour, but under normal circumstances, taking the Kincaid exit to 536 is a good alternative if going Northbound to Anacortes. Of course you would have to get to the Kincaid exit for that to work.

[Lootas1]

Slight delay

Just heard on Seattle news that some people are reporting taking three hours to move 1 1/2 miles in the "bridge out" area.
Thanks for correcting me, Chuck. Fortunately, when I posted, it looked out my window and saw the top of the rock that tells me when the tide is too low to launch. Now the tide is high, the water is calm, the sun is shining and I'm thinking it is a little late to run over to Sucia or anywhere else this evening with the boat still on the trailer. Praying for good weather next weekend.

[DMCI]

Yesterday, I went to LA Connor. Traffic on I5 northbound was extremely heavy (remember this was a Friday afternoon.), There was also a lot of traffic around for island southbound. While I was going northbound to La Conner, the traffic was relatively light. It appeared they were using Fir island southbound as a detour route. WSP was directing traffic at Conway.

By early evening, the detour traffic was gone. I expect that today Saturday will be similar. I noted that traffic northbound on Highway 9 was considerably heavier than normal, but moving well.

I expect to do something similar today. We'll see how it goes.

One thing for sure, if you try to force your way through I five, like many did you will experience significant delays. Today Saturday should be even worse than yesterday. I would suggest starting early, be creative, consult your map.

Best bet: travel north to Conway then get off and take back roads to 20.

[Bflaherty]

My parents came up to Bellingham from Lynnwood on Saturday and they said as long as you follow the WSP detour routes its only a 15-20 set back and that traffic (for the most part) was moving smoothly. WSDOT has negociated with the cities of Mt Vernon and Burlington to sincronize the traffic lights to help keep the detour traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

Yes, this bridge collapse is going to set back the logistics of the North end Puget Sound area, but the folks at WSDOT have contingency plans for the removal of any major bridge in the state! I have a couple friends from college who work in the logistics planing deparment for WSDOT spending all their time planning for these kinds of disasters...